Moorish Nationality Misconceptions | The Moorish Republic

Prophet Noble Drew Ali understood the power of Nationality and that his people were in desperate need of one[cite: 17]. He took a word of generality and transformed it into a term of specificity—applying it to a specific, sovereign nation of people in North America[cite: 17].

Understanding the etymological origins, Eurocentric historical references, and grammatical distinctions between nouns and adjectives is essential to comprehending true Moorish nationality[cite: 17].

Etymological & Grammatical Foundations

Greek Origin (Mauros): The word "Moor" derives from a Greek origin[cite: 17]. Its first documented use occurred circa 46 B.C. when the Roman army entered West Africa and encountered dark-skinned Africans, whom they referred to as "maures" from the Greek adjective mauros (meaning dark-skinned people)[cite: 17].

Noun vs. Adjective: Etymologically, "Moor" originated and functions as a noun (a thing)[cite: 17]. Conversely, "black" originated as an adjective (a description of a thing)[cite: 17]. In legal and political status, human beings cannot be adjectives; therefore, people cannot be "blacks" within a colonial legal context[cite: 17]. There is no "Black" nation[cite: 17].

Generality to Specificity: Prior to Noble Drew Ali, Europeans used "Moor" as a general catch-all term for melanated indigenous peoples worldwide[cite: 17]. Noble Drew Ali established it as a specific legal nationality for the Moors of North America[cite: 17].

Eurocentric Terminology & Historical Context

Contrary to popular fiction, there was never historically an ancient single nation whose people natively called themselves "Moors"[cite: 17]. The Moors of North America are the first in recorded history to adopt the word explicitly as a nationality declaration[cite: 17].

The Africans who built civilization in Spain and educated Europe beginning in 711 A.D. did not call themselves "Moors"[cite: 17]. They were nationals of distinct sovereign nations, but European observers, writing from a Eurocentric viewpoint, categorized them collectively by skin tone as "Moors"[cite: 17].

When the term appears in vintage European literature, it must be recognized as a Eurocentric generalization[cite: 17]. European writers applied the label indiscriminately to heavily melanated indigenous people across the globe whenever they were ignorant of, or unconcerned with, their true national identities[cite: 17]. Yet, the populations being called "Moors" possessed distinct national lineages and sovereignty[cite: 17].

        A People Cannot Be Adjectives. "Moor" Is a Noun of Specificity; "Black" Is a Colonial Adjective of Description[cite: 17].
    

Scholarly Research & Educational Media

In Dr. Ivan Van Sertima's acclaimed work, "Golden Age of the Moor," researcher Wayne B. Chandler examines the ancient ancestors of the region[cite: 17]:

"At the heart of the history of the ancient Moors of the Sahara is a tribe known as the Garamantes... Rock engravings and paintings done by early Saharans, who in all probability became the Garamantes, are difficult to date, but some believe that the oldest were executed before 5000 B.C. From this vantage point, they can be considered the ancestors of the true Moors."[cite: 17]

Reclaiming nationality removes individuals from statutory, descriptive labels and places them firmly within legal personhood, self-determination, and international standing[cite: 15, 17].

Nationality is the Order of the Day

Return to Misconceptions & Research

Explore additional legal codes, historical records, and common misconceptions regarding national status[cite: 15, 17].

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